Become a CEO: A National Voice Mentoring Opportunity

The AWEC National Voice Committee is offering to assist members who are considering the pursuit of CEO positions, in keeping with our mission, vision and values.
Every state has adult corrections agencies and juvenile justice systems. Currently throughout the U.S., only eight women serve as heads of adult prison systems and sixteen women head juvenile justice agencies, meaning that only approximately 20 percent of these agencies are headed by women.

A harsh reality for those who serve in executive level government positions, is that government agency cabinet members and many chief executives serve at the pleasure of state governors. Many find themselves looking for jobs when new governors are inaugurated. With 37 governor’s races on ballots around the country this year, many top governmental jobs will soon be open.

AWEC does not advocate for personnel changes. However, because changes are anticipated in CEO positions around the country, the National Voice Committee, supported by the Board of Directors, encourages our membership to step up on the career ladder to move to the next level – into the shoes of a CEO.

We encourage you, our members, to consider yourselves viable candidates for top positions and be alert for opportunities and positions that become available. We hope you will consider yourselves talented, capable and ready for the challenge.

The National Voice Committee stands ready to assist in your deliberations as you consider the next level of opportunities. Having served as CEOs of corrections agencies, members of the National Voice Committee have volunteered to serve as “consultants” to those of you who are ready to take that step and climb the ladder, to provide a resource to draw upon to assist in your decision making.

We interviewed several members of the National Voice Committee and asked several questions. Those Interviewed were: Patricia Caruso, Retired Director of the Michigan Department of Corrections;. Gwen Chunn, Retired Executive Director of the Juvenile Justice Institute, North Carolina Central University and former Director of Youth Services, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services; Kathleen Dennehy, Former Commissioner, Massachusetts Department of Correction; Theresa Lantz, Retired Commissioner, Connecticut Department of Correction; Andie Moss, President of The Moss Group, Inc. and former Assistant Deputy Commissioner, Georgia Department of Corrections; Jeanne Woodford, retired Chief of Adult Probation, City and County of San Francisco and former Warden, San Quentin State Prison.